6/24/2013

We get colds and flus from time to time, but for diabetics colds and flus can be a little more serious. People with diabetes are more prone to infections, so it's important to make sure a cold and flu doesn't turn ugly. Here are some simple hints and tips that should help you should get a cold or flu.



1) drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration-if you don't eat properly and your dehydrated glucose levels of the blood may become too low. Dehydration can cause problems as well.



2) Rest-lots of rest will allow the body to repair and fight colds and the flu bug. Your body will be weaker when you have a cold or flu so help giving your body less to do and concentrate on the fight against the infection.



3) Keep a good supply of vitamin C and zinc-vitamin C is found in citrus fruits like oranges and fruit juices or you can take supplements. If you make use of supplements do not need high-strength varieties such as 1000mg just use standard strengths.



4 high temperature)-If you have high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees then let your doctor know. Acetaminophen is good to lower the temperature. If you are on medication make sure you check with your pharmacist which you can take acetaminophen with other drugs. (Almost all diabetic medications are compatible with acetaminophen, but it's still good to check). If you have a high temperature, this could be a sign of infection.



5) Avoid flu remedies with decongestants. Theoretically you could
make it harder to identify the signs of persistent high blood glucose and if you are on blood pressure lowering drugs raise blood pressure.



6) check glucose levels regularly. If the levels are notably target, then consult your doctor or if you're on insulin and may make changes to your insulin regimen, then you may need to adjust accordingly, but make sure you have your doctor's permission.



7) monitor your ketones – if the blood glucose levels become high the result may be the production of ketones, this can happen more often with type 1 diabetics. Check your urine ketones with a simple urine ketone strips such as ketostix and tell your doctor you have positive results.



8) Take the diabetes medication and/or insulin-if you can take medication that will help you recover faster by making sure that your body is working properly. In some cases the cold or flu might worsen if not take your diabetes medications or insulin.



9) prevention is better than cure-flu vaccine jab can prevent some types of flu. If you can get access to the flu jab would be worth it to prevent the flu. Ask your doctor if you can gain access to the flu jab.



10 sugar-free Medications) you can use lozenges for a sore throat and cough cough suppressants. Ask your pharmacist for the sugar free variety. If you have a chesty cough (cough with phlegm) and mucus is dark, this is a sign of infection and you should go see your doctor. Diabetics are more prone to infections.



We hope that you will be able to use these tips for preventing colds and influenza becoming severe and recover faster.



Now that you've read our article on diabetes and colds flu &, you may want to read our article on what is diabetes?. There is a lot of useful knowledge in the article.
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